Macro Photography Tips

Good Subjects for Close-up Photography

One of the most useful macro photography tips I would like to pass on, is choosing the right subject.

Some of the most compelling and appealing macro photos are those of insects or even parts of insects. That's because insects move so quickly in real life and very few of us ever have the opportunity to truly study an insect and all its parts from such an up-close-and-personal view.

For a beginner macro photographer, however, it may be a good idea to start out by photographing flowers and the various parts of flowers or fruit or other tiny objects that will not crawl or fly away when you are trying to practice. Photographing flowers in particular is an excellent way to learn about and experiment with lenses and filters, exposure, composition, and special photographic techniques and effects.

Coins are another good subject for practicing your close-up photography skills.

The best subjects for close-up photography usually have lovely color and texture to captivate the viewer's imagination.

If you are new to digital macro photography, this article will provide you with some macro photography tips to help you get off to a good start.

Macro Photography Tips...

* Use a large F value or aperture. Because magnification continually reduces the depth of field, you want to use the largest F value or aperture possible to increase this depth of field as much as possible. It will still be very slim, so you don't need to worry that the background will become the focus of the picture unless the background item is too light or dark in comparison to the subject and therefore becomes distracting. However, a wider depth of field in such tight circumstances will help ensure all of the details on the tiny subject are in focus. F8 - 13 is a good aperture value to use in most cases, but experiment to find a good depth of field for your subject.

* Using on-camera flash? Then select fill flash. Alternatively, you could get a special macro ring flash designed for your camera to get good lighting and results. Or, you could turn off the flash and use continuous lighting. It will take some practice to determine the lighting technique and effect you prefer the most. Be sure you do not stand in a position where you and/or the camera will cast a shadow on your subject, unless you purposely want to shield it from harsh overhead sun. Flash lighting (using the regular flash on your camera) needs to be diffused or bounced onto the subject for attractive lighting rather than direct. Make sure to visit my page on macro photography lighting for tips on using natural light for close-up photography.

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